How Hutch Got His Ford Galaxie and Other Short Stories
by Hutch-is-gorgeous
Summary: Includes narcotics side effects, how Hutch got his 1st Ford Galaxie, and a Toys for Tots Truck


Thank you Sparkle731 for beta reading this.

Note: I have made some changes to the story and the title of it since she beta read it, but all errors are unintentionally mine.

Title: How Hutch Got His Ford Galaxie and Other Short Stories.

Inside the Torino, Hutch's mind strayed off to thinking about other things, and he sighed then sighed again, thinking about one of the times he was in court and sitting on the witness stand. The defense attorney waved his arms in the air and said,

"So, Detective Hutchinson. Detective starts with a D. Right?"

"Right."

Your last name begins with a H?"

"Yes."

"And you're a cop. Right?"

"Yes."

"And how long have you been one for?"

"Eleven years."

"Eleven. That's a number that's between 10 and 12. Right?"

"Right."

"And how many knickknacks again is my client accused of shoplifting?"

"Eight."

"Eight. That's a number between seven and nine. Right?"

"Right."

"And where outside of the department store did you arrest my client?"

"Next to a table with plants on it."

"Table. That's a piece of furniture with a flat top and one or more legs, providing a level surface on which objects may be placed, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"And plants, those are something you have to water. Right?"

Hutch looked at the judge, "Your Honor, may I please be excused from this courtroom so I can go see a nurse?"

"Why do you need to go see a nurse?"

"Because I'm sick! Sick of being in court and especially having to deal with this bozo's dumb questions!"

"Hey! That's my defense attorney you just called bozo!" The shoplifter yelled, jumping out of his seat.

And before Hutch knew what was happening the big and tall shoplifter was on top of him and beating the stuffing out of him!

"Order in the court! Order in the court!" The judge hollered, pounding his gavel on top of his desk.

The bailiff wasn't doing anything to help restore order or to help Hutch. He was too busy thinking about how it wasn't too long from now that he could retire from his job.

Hutch had been clobbered again by his assailant, "Starsky! I need you!" Hutch screamed, but Starsky wasn't anywhere in sight. Since he had nothing to do with the arrest of the shoplifter, he had gone to a vending machine to get a snack.

Hutch groaned, grunted and groaned some more. He whimpered in pain. He knew that if he lived through the beating, he would spend a long time in the hospital recovering.

The last time he was in the hospital it wasn't because he'd been beaten. But it did involve him being hurt badly enough he'd been given a narcotic painkiller through an IV in his arm.

Shortly after the painkiller had been administered, he cried out, "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme that teddy!" sounding and acting like a little boy! Sticking his thumb in his mouth, he sucked on it, still waiting for the teddy.

How embarrassing! But he couldn't help it. Not with the narcotic doing what it was to him.

"I'm sorry dear, but I don't see a teddy," he remembered a female nurse saying.

Hutch also remembered throwing a temper-tantrum, "Teddy! Teddy! Teddy! I want that teddy!" He repeatedly slammed both of his fists into the bed mattress. Because of the narcotic, he wasn't feeling any pain from doing that, or was feeling any pain from his many injuries he'd got from the shoplifter.

Suddenly the nurse became not so understanding of his childish behavior, even though it wasn't his fault. "If you don't knock that off right this instant, I'll give you a spanking that I'll make sure you feel!"

Hutch's eyes widened in excitement, "Oooooooo! A spanking! I'd love that!" Hopping out of bed, he bent over making his butt an easier target for her to spank. Then heard the shocked nurse sputter out, "Mr. Hutchinson! Mr. Hutchinson!"

And that's when the electric fan, blowing cool air on his skin, kicked his brain into gear enough so he became aware of what he was doing and was entirely mortified by his behavior!

Stupid narcotic painkillers! He vowed that never again would he let someone put some in his IV!

Too bad that while he was in the hospital and recovering from the beating the shoplifter had given him, he was hurting so much that he'd let Starsky talk him into at least taking a narcotic painkiller in pill form.

"Teddy! Teddy! I want that Teddy!"…..

#######

Flashback to December 1974-

Hutch no longer had his Ford Fairlane, only because back in July Starsky was out of town with an old friend of his. This forced Hutch to go by himself to talk to someone who earlier that day had witnessed someone vandalizing the outside door of someone's business. They were using a can of bright neon-orange spray paint, along with a can of paint that almost matched the color of Hutch's hair.

Not that Hutch needed Starsky to go with him and hold his hand to interview the witness. The problem was this one lived on a street with a very steep hill and no curb. Before Hutch exited the Fairlane, he'd put the car in park and as an added precaution put on the emergency brake.

Now that he was out of the car, he watched in horror as the vehicle rolled backwards down the hill. It was heading straight for two houses. Hutch watched in horror as instead of hitting the houses the car went between them and crashed into a concrete retaining wall.

The concrete was thick enough that except for a few cracks in it, the wall was still intact, but the whole back end of Hutch's car looked like an accordion!

Though for some reason the Fairlane hadn't stayed in park, it had been a good car. He didn't have enough money in the bank to buy another Fairlane and that's how he ended up buying a two-toned tan and battered 1973 Ford Galaxie.

At least like his Fairlane, the Galaxie did have character and without being cartoonish. Unlike Starsky's Torino! How it ended up being that while they were out patrolling the streets, the brunet did most of the driving, Hutch didn't know.

#####

December 1974 and speaking of teddy bears and other toys….

Hutch was in the Torino with Starsky doing the driving. "All units. All units. There's a man and 'not' in a U.S. Marine uniform that someone reported as stealing a Toys for Tots truck. License plate number CHS PRSTS as in Christmas presents. Last seen in the vicinity of Charlotte and Main."

Hutch picked up the mike and informed the dispatch operator that their estimated time of arrival to the vicinity was seven minutes…

"Four minutes!" Starsky corrected him, gunning the car forward and way too fast for Hutch's liking, "I need a beer!" the fair-haired cop yelled.

"What for!?"

"You just about threw me into the glass windshield with your driving! That's what's for!"

"You don't like my driving!? Too bad! Watch this!" and then Starsky did a quick U-turn in the middle of the street and turning a corner roared the Torino down an alley. Hutch was thankful there weren't any pedestrians and other vehicles in sight. The Torino was scattering sheets of old newspapers and other debris all over the place!

The windows were rolled down and two sheets of newspaper blew in the car. To Hutch's annoyance the two sheets wrapped around his head, causing him to not be able to see jack-squat!

At least he didn't need to see to yank the dirty and smelly newspaper off, and doing so, threw them out the window.

Turning his head toward Starsky he glowered at him. Not that his glowering was doing any good at all since Starsky couldn't quit laughing at him.

"Ya know, Hutch. Littering's against the law. I outta haul your butt to jail and…" But before he could finish his sentence, he spotted their suspect. "The Toys for Tots truck!" he shouted, pointing his right index finger at it.

"I see it, and a man 'not' dressed in a U.S. Marine uniform getting out of the truck," Hutch said. Starsky slowed down the Torino and let Hutch jump out.

Running up to the thief, Hutch purposely acted like he desperately needed a smoke. "I'm dying for a cigarette! Got a match!?" He breathily puffed out his mouth like his lungs didn't work right all the way, and he was a real smoker with emphysema.

"No, I don't have a cigarette! Now get lost!"

"Oh, come on, pal! Is that any way to speak to someone when it's only two-and-a-half weeks away from Christmas!?"

"I said get lost!"

Hutch ignored the order to do so. He watched as the guy opened the back of the truck. "I've still got to unload these Toys for Tots into this warehouse!"

"So you're admitting that all these toys in this truck are Toys for Tots?" That wasn't a stupid question at all, as he could use the guy admitting to such in his police report.

"Yes. So, what's it to you!?"

"Well, it's just that these toys don't belong to you. They belong to children who otherwise wouldn't be getting anything at all for Christmas!"

"That's a fib that they otherwise wouldn't be getting anything at all!"

"No, it's not!" Hutch said, sadly shaking his head.

"Really?" the thief asked, having softened his voice, along with his demeanor.

"Really."

"Say, why are you wearing that jacket for when it's the middle of summer? Got a gun hiding under it?"

"Yeah, I'm a cop. The fuzz," Hutch said so honestly that the guy who had stolen the truck of toys had no doubt that Hutch was telling the absolute truth.

"So, you gonna put some handcuffs on me and take me to the slammer for stealing this truck of toys?"

"Not if you promise me you'll take it straight back to the parking lot you got it from."

"I promise you that I will!"

"Great! I'll terminate writing up my police report." Hutch said, giving him a friendly smile.

"Do you still need a match for a cigarette?" the man teased. Not smelling any cigarette smoke on Hutch's clothes or seeing any nicotine stains on his fingers- he correctly assumed that he really didn't smoke cigarettes.

"Hey, that guy in that candy-apple Torino over there. You know him?"

"He's my partner."

"I'm too busy most of Christmas, but what do you say about him and you coming to my place on Christmas Eve morning and we'll go out for breakfast? My treat."

"We don't have our work schedule yet to tell you if we can do that, but if we can, I'll give you a call. What's your phone number?" Then Hutch, not being able to find a piece of paper, (not even newspaper) to write the number down on, he used the blue pen in his right hand to write it down on his left palm.

The End


End file.
